6 month old suddenly laying awake when put to bed

[owltrousers]

Hello!

6 month old DS, always been a good sleeper. Bottle at 6.30pm, story and then put in his cot and usually out like a light.

Suddenly he's started laying awake for around 30 mins after being put down just mumbling quietly, stroking his elephant toy. Usually he'll go to sleep after that, is this self-settling he's doing? We're never sure whether to leave him to it or to go in and put his dummy back it / stroke his head some more.

If he's not upset, leave him to it! He's self-settling AND learning to entertain himself in his cot. Win win!

Yup exactly what peachgreen said!
Definitely a good thing

This is a fantastic thing! If he can settle himself to sleep your life will become infinitely easier, and he will be happier and more rested.

Leave him leave him leave him!

Our little boy (8 months) wonders around the cot for about 10mins, then "sings" his sleepy song as he drifts off.

Good job too, as he's a 23lb lump and I couldn't be bloody rocking him anymore :D

Leave him! DS has been doing this since 3ish months... suddenly wide awake in his cot then has a nice chat to himself then off he goes... it's actually quite cute

My daughter does this too, she is 5 months. She's really sleepy when she is put into her cot and wakes as soon as I lay her in there. I walk out of the room and watch her on the monitor. She usually holds onto her sheep, lifts her legs up and down and looks around for a while then drifts off on her own. I'm glad she doesn't rely on me getting her to sleep, she's self settling, which I'm sure yours is doing too! It's a definite win! 👍🏻

Ah thats great, thanks everyone! Was sure thats what he was doing, its been such a long road to get to this point - we were rocking him in our arms for up to 2 hours (!!!) a month ago.

Hurray!

Ahh bless him! He sounds like an absolute dream. My 1yo DD, still has to be fed to sleep then even when she's asleep I have to lay their 10 minutes to let her get into a 'deeper sleep' before I sneak off. & then she can still wake up 5 minutes after I've left the room - regularly! Your little boy sounds very chilled & content

what did you do to get away from rocking him to sleep?! (she asks desperately )

@littlestrawby We basically decided to start sleep training early, at 4 months. We used the ferber method which involves some letting them cry but we never let him go for more than 10 mins and tbh he never cried that much - more moaned and grumbled.

Basically just went cold turkey with the rocking and started putting him in his cot with white noise, a comfort toy, his dummy and a pitch black room instead. It took him him 5-10 mins each night to get the picture that no, its sleep time but worked within a week.